Quick Take Vulturine guinea fowl’s blue and white plumage comes from feather structure, not pigments, creating vivid, ...

Feathers evolved in dinosaurs and are a key characteristic of birds today. They are arranged in a precise hexagonal pattern in a bird's skin, but it has been unclear how this happens. According to a ...

In a new study, a team led by University of Utah biologists has discovered that different versions of a single gene, called NDP (Norrie Disease Protein), have unexpected links between color patterns ...

Complex and vibrant bird plumage inspired Darwin’s concept of sexual selection as well as many a poem and painting. But feather patterns are not directly coded in DNA, and only now has it become clear ...

In sharp-tailed grouse (Pedioecetes phasianellus) and prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) the pattern of crown feathers varies according to sex. Crown feathers of males are dark with a buff-colored ...

According to a new study, the precise patterning of bird feathers relies on signaling through ectodysplasin (EDA) and its receptor EDAR -- the same signaling pathway known to be crucial for the ...